Stollwerck AG's last public meeting

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• General meeting of Stollwerck AG shareholders on April
30, 2003•Cash compensation of EUR 295.00 per
Stollwerck share proposed for the remaining 1.34% of shares held by
minority shareholders (squeeze out)•Stollwerck
shares subsequently delisted•Service Hotline
set up for shareholders

Zurich/Switzerland, Cologne/Germany, March 21, 2002 –
Stollwerck AG today publishes the invitation to the general meeting
of shareholders on April 30, 2003. The most important item on the
agenda concerns the exclusion of the remaining 1.34% minority
shareholders in exchange for appropriate cash compensation (squeeze
out), as provided for by German law. Minority shareholders will be
paid cash compensation of EUR 295.00 per share for the share
transfer. This figure corresponds to the cash amount that was paid
to Stollwerck shareholders within the scope of the mandatory public
offer issued on September 17, 2002.

Stollwerck shares will no longer be listed once all minority
shareholders are bought out. The shares of Stollwerck AG are
currently still admitted for trading with an official listing on
the stock exchanges in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt am Main.

The general meeting of Stollwerck shareholders will take place
at the Congress-Centrum Ost KölnMesse in Cologne/Germany on April
30, 2003 at 11:30 a.m.

The Swiss company Barry Callebaut AG acquired Stollwerck AG in
August 2002 through its German subsidiary Van Houten Beteiligungs
AG & Co. KG. After the expiration of the acceptance period for
the mandatory public offer to buy the shares of the minority
shareholders of Stollwerck AG, Van Houten Beteiligungs AG & Co.
KG held 98.66% of Stollwerck AG's share capital and voting
rights.

Service Hotline for shareholders

A Service Hotline has been set up for shareholders who have
questions or proposals concerning the general meeting. It can be
contacted from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at
the telephone number (Germany) 0211/30 12 61 16 or at the following
e-mail address: stollwerck@haubrok.de.

Barry Callebaut is the world’s leading producer of
high-quality cocoa and chocolate products with sales of around CHF
2.6 billion in fiscal 2001/02. Barry Callebaut operates some 30
production facilities in 16 countries and has approximately 7,000
employees. The company is divided into four strategic business
units: Cocoa, Sourcing & Risk Management, Food Manufacturers,
Gourmet & Specialties and Consumer Products.

Our customers range from industrial processors, such as the
world famous branded consumer goods manufacturers who produce
chocolate, confectionery, biscuits, dairy products, ice cream and
breakfast cereals incorporating Barry Callebaut products, to
artisanal users, including hotels, gastronomy, chocolatiers, pastry
chefs and bakers, to partners in the food retailing industry for
whom the Barry Callebaut Group produces branded, customer label and
other consumer products. Barry Callebaut also offers a
comprehensive range of services in the fields of product
development, processing, training and marketing.

The Stollwerck AG activities acquired by Barry Callebaut AG
generated sales of around CHF 774 mn or EUR 530 mn in fiscal 2001
and include eight production facilities with approximately 2,500
employees located in Germany, Belgium and Switzerland.
Stollwerck’s strengths lie in its range of well-recognized,
well-established brands in the middle and premium market segments,
which it has consistently and successfully marketed and refined.
This underscores the company’s skills as a full-range supplier
with regard to price category, market segment and consumer
needs.